Revelation 19:1-10 Sermon Information
Title: “From Haunts to Hallelujahs”

Note: Revelation 19:1-10 is the response of the call to worship in 18:20 and here, the Bride of Christ is contrasted with the Harlot (Prostitute) of Babylon. This begins the last portion of the broader section detailing God’s judgment of Babylon from 17:1-19:21.
1. The multitude praises God for his salvation and justice (19:1-5)
• “Hallelujah” (10:1-3) – lit. “praise Yahweh”; used 4 times, only here in the NT
o Hallel (Psalms 113-118) – exuberant joy in worship
o Praise God for his salvation (1; see 7:9-12)
o Praise God because his judgments are true and just (2)
o Praise God because he has avenged the blood of the saints (2)
o Praise God because his judgment is final and enduring, guaranteeing salvation (3; see 14:11; 17:21-23)
• The elders and four living creatures command God’s people to praise him (19:4-5)
o “voice from the throne” – indicates divinely authorized praise (divine imperative)
o “Praise our God” – Greek form of hallelujah
o Command to the small and great – all have access to worship God

2. The multitude praises God because he reigns and the Lamb takes his Bride (19:6-8)
• “roar of many waters” (1:15; 14:2) – the redeemed who had not defiled themselves with the beast join in the praise of God
• Praise because “the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (6)
• Praise because the marriage of the Lamb has come (7)
• God as husband/ Israel as Bride: Isa 49:18; 54:5; 61:10; Jer 2:2; Ezek16:8; Hosea 2:19-20
• Church as Bride: Matt 19:15; Mk 2:19-20; Jn 3:29; 2:1-11; 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:28-32
• Praise because the Bride is ready (7-8) – faithful, prepared, pure (contrasted with the prostitute of Babylon)

3. The testimony of Jesus is trustworthy and shapes our worship (19:9-10)
• Blessed are those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (9) - see the Luke 14:15-24; Matt 22:11-14
• “true words of God” (see Rev 1:2-3)
• “testimony of Jesus” and “spirit of prophecy” – Jesus’ earthly ministry, carried on by those who remain faithful to him (10)
• God’s word provides clarity, stability, joy, and assurance in an unstable world

Main Idea:
If we love justice, we will hate all that is evil and opposed to God’s purity and righteousness. Those aligned with Babylon share in its prostitution and will experience the devastating end of God’s judgment, but those aligned with Christ will anticipate and rejoice now over the salvation that Christ will bring, when we are wed to him in eternal joy.

Application:
Rejoice in God’s salvation and his justice (19:1), Give your praise to God for who he is (19:5), Prepare for Christ’s return by living righteously (19:7-8), Trust the true word of God and the testimony of Christ (19:9-10), and Worship God (19:10).


Discussion Questions:
1. Why are greed and sexual immorality so offensive in light of God’s holiness, glory, and heart for humanity? Do we (you) share Jesus' offense at unfaithfulness to God or have we (you) minimized sin?
2. Is our joy tethered to God's righteous and just judgments (even if those judgments come against systems we have been raised within and are prone to benefit from)?
3. If the means of your wealth and lifestyle turned out to be aligned to the Babylonian system that hid brutality as a means of gain, would you rejoice at its judgment or mourn because of personal loss associated with its downfall?
4. What motivates your praise (See Psalm 113 & 117)? How much do you cherish/ value God's salvation (19:1)? How precious is that to you?
5. In light of the command to praise God in 19:5, in what ways are you prone to withhold praise because of circumstance or factors other than God’s worthiness?
6. With what measure of joy do we anticipate and prepare for the “marriage of the Lamb” (19:7)?
7. What are the righteous deeds we ought to be devoted to? (Consider Matthew 5:16; 22:11-14; 25:31-46; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Peter 3:11-12, 14-18; 1 John 3:1-3)